Energy Solutions: A Holistic Approach to EU Energy Legislation

April 6, 2016 | 00:00

Energy Solutions: A Holistic Approach to EU Energy Legislation

Members of the European Parliament and industry representatives have teamed up to launch Energy Solutions: a direct response to the European Energy Union. Participants promote the development of energy regulation based on the energy system as a whole, as opposed to the current focus on individual silos such as wind, coal, nuclear power.
The goal of Energy Solutions is to discuss and develop policy options across positions and parties in meeti...

Members of the European Parliament and industry representatives have teamed up to launch Energy Solutions: a direct response to the European Energy Union. Participants promote the development of energy regulation based on the energy system as a whole, as opposed to the current focus on individual silos such as wind, coal, nuclear power.

The goal of Energy Solutions is to discuss and develop policy options across positions and parties in meeting the EU 2030 energy and climate ambitions with the view to realize the European Energy Union.

Energy Solutions is spearheaded by Mr. Morten Helveg Petersen, Vice President to the ITRE Committee and Member of the European Parliament (ALDE, DK) with founding members from four different political groups in the European Parliament and member states, including Mrs. Niebler (EPP, GE), Mr. Poche (S&D, Czech Republic), Mr. Duncan (ECR, UK), and Mr. Turmes (Greens, Luxembourg).
The industry is represented by sector-first-movers on energy solutions such as DONG Energy, Danfoss, GE, Grundfos, EDF, EoN, Microsoft, Panasonic, Rockwool, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Velux, Vestas and 3M.

From the Energy Solutions press release:

2016 is the year of action. In 2016 the European Commission will have presented 90% of the legislation designed to create a European Energy Union. The legislation for a European Energy Union soon moves into the European Parliament that will begin negotiations on legislative acts. Acts of particular interest relate to energy market design, renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy performance of buildings.

Legislation on energy is currently too often developed for individual silos of the energy sector. The silo-based approach does not sufficiently take into account the well-functioning of the energy system as a whole. The energy system as a whole needs to be the guiding principle for developing energy regulation – a well-functioning energy system is the offset for making the different parts bankable.

The Energy Union is the most comprehensive political project in the history of the European Unions energy policies, indeed, perhaps in the history of Europe. The EU has to deliver affordable, secure and sustainable energy while creating jobs and growth as well as investments to its more than 500 million inhabitants. It requires holistic solutions and perspectives - that is Energy Solutions.

Energy Solutions will operate in a structured setting around plenaries, work streams and round table discussions with the view to develop and approach holistic policy options for legislation.
High-level events with participation of Commissioners, Members of the European Parliament, CEOs and high-level civil servants will be held annually.

Work streams will run quarterly to fuel into the legislative packages and will reflect the five dimensions of the Energy Union, including 1) Energy Security, 2) Internal Energy Market, 3) Energy Efficiency, 4) Decarbonisation, and 5) Research, Innovation and Competitiveness. Outputs from activities aim to develop and approach common policy papers as well as to discuss concrete energy solutions to concrete legislative acts.

Energy Solutions will be launched on April 6, 2016. Speakers include keynote speaker Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the European Commission, in charge of Energy Union, Morten Helveg Petersen, Vice President to the ITRE Committee and Member of the European Parliament (ALDE, DK), moderators Mrs. Niebler (EPP, GE), Mr. Poche (S&D, Czech Republic) and Mr. Turmes (Greens, Luxembourg). Panel speakers including top executives from GE, EoN, EDF, Danfoss, Velux, Vestas.